Sushmita Sen scouting for good scripts and scriptwriters

Mumbai, Oct 10 (IANS) Former beauty queen Sushmita Sen's production house is no longer working on a one-point agenda. After the film "Rani Laxmibai", Tantra Productions is launching two new films and more importantly a nation-wide hunt for screenplay writers.

"We need to look beyond our immediate interests," said Sushmita.

"And I don't mean just at Tantra Productions, but the entertainment industry on the whole. As far as I can see, there's no shortage of talent in our country. But what we need are proper platforms for that talent.

"There're no accessible or even legitimate channels and outlets for talent to knock and enter Bollywood, let alone for talent to be nurtured," said Sushmita, who was last seen in "Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag".

This is where Sushmita's production company comes in.

"We're now into discovering and promoting new screenplay-writing talent. Anyone who has a script in any language from any part of our country or outside can get in touch with Tantra Productions, submit their script with the assurance that the manuscripts won't languish in a corner to be finally thrown into a trash can, as they often are in our industry," Sushmita told IANS.

The screenplay scouting is specially stimulating to Sushmita's sensibilities.

"I know there're super-talented writers across the country in the regional languages who don't know where to go in Bollywood. Well, here we are!"

Sushmita has employed the best minds in the business that will gradually create a bank of scripts for not only Tantra Productions but also the film industry at large.

Does this mean "Rani Laxmibai" is no more her primary interest?

"It will be my burning ambition until it gets made and afterwards. But I also have to think of the larger picture. Though my cinematic world currently revolves around 'Rani Laxmibai', my production house needs to keep growing, working towards creating a world beyond just one film. And for that we need to build a pyramid of talent and projects. This process has now begun parallel to my dream project. You could say, 'Rani Laxmibai' is my dream. The other projects are my reality check."

Two films with directors who have worked with Sushmita are now being put together for Tantra.

After giving it a thought Sushmita said: "Actually it would have made more practical sense to first put together the smaller projects, or shall I say the less large projects, and then move into 'Rani Laxmibai' as we would grow more experienced as a production house. But now that we're in it, there's no looking back."

Currently the actress is busy judging dance reality show "Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena" on Colors channel.